The office was buzzing, not with the royal scandal, which had everyone glued to screens, but with the kind of whispers that only employees with too much curiosity could generate.
Nara walked past the open-plan workspace, laptop in hand, when she noticed it, the hunting squad. Three employees huddled near the coffee machine, pretending to sip but clearly waiting for a story.
"Morning, Nara!" one called cheerfully.
"Morning, Nara!" another chorused.
Nara raised an eyebrow. "Morning. Big news this morning, huh?"
"Ohhh… you know about the anniversary last night, right?" the first one asked, eyes sparkling.
"Yes! The Dynamite gala! What did happen?" the second chimed in, practically bouncing.
The third leaned closer, voice conspiratorial. "We heard whispers… someone walked offstage in a dramatic fashion?"
Nara sipped her coffee like nothing was happening. "Oh, really? That's… tragic. How very theatrical of them."
The three glanced at each other. Not a clue.
"Wait, do you know who it was?" the first whispered.
Nara shrugged. "I think it's best for the world if some things stay a mystery."
"But you were there! You and Hellen went!" the second persisted.
"Yes," Nara admitted innocently, "we were guests."
"Guests!" the third squealed. "So you saw everything! You have to tell us! Was it… scandalous?"
Nara smiled, tilting her head. "Oh, it was so scandalous,but I'm legally not allowed to say a word."
The first employee leaned closer. "Come on! Just one tiny hint?"
Nara held up a finger. "Tiny hint? Fine. Someone in a tux didn't follow the script."
"Which one? Who?!"
Nara sipped her coffee. Slowly. Exaggeratedly.
"Let's just say," she said, lowering her voice dramatically, "that someone has strong opinions about arrangements. Very strong opinions."
The three froze. Eyes wide.
"Strong opinions?"
"Yes," Nara said, savoring the pause. "And that's all you're getting. Strong opinions. Keep it safe for the tabloids."
They groaned. Not the juicy answer they wanted.
"But…but… you're hiding something!" the first squeaked.
"I'm definitely hiding something," Nara said, smiling. "Like how many cups of coffee Hellen has before meetings. That's the real scandal."
By now, the royal news alerts had started pinging again, pulling half the office away.
The three huddled together, muttering "Why is she so mysterious?!"
Nara chuckled quietly and walked to her office, shaking her head.
Hellen, emerging from her glass-walled office, raised an eyebrow.
"Did the gossip hunters get their fix?" she asked.
"Barely," Nara replied with a smirk. "But I think they'll keep trying. All morning. Maybe all week."
Hellen laughed. "Good. Let them work for it. And hey, at least the royal news is keeping them distracted from asking the really important questions."
Nara smiled, closing her laptop.
Yes. Let them chase shadows.
Some things weren't ready to be revealed.
And as far as Nara was concerned, the less the office knew, the better.